


Unfinished Business

by CatherineParker



Category: Legend of the Seeker (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Fix-it, Episode Related, Episode: Light, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 21:31:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20142295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatherineParker/pseuds/CatherineParker
Summary: Cara tries to rectify one of her greatest regrets...





	Unfinished Business

  
"I have to go."  
  
Kahlan stops Cara with a hand on her forearm and she suppresses the involuntary urge to shrug it off. "Go where?"  
  
This is Kahlan, she reminds herself. Kahlan, who is compassionate and touchy, full of feelings and doesn't know any better. Or perhaps she does and just makes a conscious choice to ignore Cara's need for self-determination.  
  
"Richard is still out there. We need to find him sooner than later. If he is still with the Sisters of the Light, they must have made it already. I understand that you're sad about Leo, but--"  
  
"I am not sad about anything." And she can't quite keep the growl out of her voice. "This has nothing to do with him. I will catch up with you, and Zedd in a short while." She moves away, but the hand around her biceps only tightens as Kahlan pulls her back.  
  
"Cara..." It is soft and indulgent, and she can't quite make herself to break free. "Where would you even go then? There is nothing around here but forest for leagues and leagues."  
  
And well, yes, it is a valid question. Cara worries her bottom lip with her teeth, stalling before having to answer. When she does, she chooses to not meet Kahlan's piercing blue eyes. "I need to go back the way we came."  
  
"Why??" Kahlan's gaze darts over her face and the moment their eyes meet, Cara feels way too vulnerable and exposed for her liking. Like so often when Kahlan studies her so intently.  
  
There is no easy way to answer her question and Cara has long ago unlearned to bare herself to the outside world - has long forgotten what it means to put her complete trust into someone other than herself. So, she doesn't respond immediately, looking over to Zedd who is readying their horses to continue their journey to the Old World. When she looks back eventually Kahlan's gaze is still lingering on her, open but nonetheless searching.  
  
"For her." Cara bites out and somewhere deep inside her, something clenches roughly at the admission.  
  
Kahlan's brows crinkle in confusion for only a moment, but then her eyes light up with a sense of understanding. "Denna is dead, Cara. Even if the chest wound didn't kill her right away, she could never have survived the fall."  
  
Seconds tick by and Cara holds Kahlan's gaze. "That is why I have to go back."  
  
"What?" Kahlan hisses loud enough that Zedd perks up a few paces away, where he just fastens the saddle on one of the horses. His curious gaze flickers over to them, but Cara sends him one of her death glares and he quickly looks away. Richard might be the true Lord Rahl, but that doesn't mean Cara will endure the same intrusions of her privacy from his meddling grandfather.  
  
"Cara! Please, tell me your are joking!" Kahlan demands, but thankfully a little quieter than before. "After everything she did, you can't seriously consider bringing this… monster back to life!" The Confessor's voice takes on a high-pitched note at the end and her incredulity almost makes Cara smile. Where it not for the subject matter they are discussing that has her stomach churning with dread and preventing any kind of amusement from forming.  
  
"I have to." Cara implores and hopes Kahlan will accept it just this once. It is unlikely that she fails to notice Cara's own distress over the matter, even though Cara is reluctant to share her true reasoning with Kahlan. But then she suspects she may have to, when she wants to avoid the Wizard also getting involved. She should just have waited until they were on their way and then have ridden in the other direction, calling over her shoulder to Kahlan and Zedd that she would catch up with them - instead of now wasting precious time and debating with Kahlan over it.  
  
"But why in the Creator's name would you even consider doing this? You owe her nothing."  
  
"Maybe not, but she deserves more than an arrow to the chest." Her eyes dart up to the cloudless blue sky and for a moment she watches a green-red bird circle in the air above them. Denna does deserve most certainly more than that. Even if Cara can't figure out what more of. More suffering while dying in agony or not dying at all by her hand like this - without a fight or chance to defend herself. "We have history," she murmurs as memories carry her back to a time long forgotten that makes her throat go suddenly dry. Back to a time where her only goal was rising up the ranks, no matter the lives it took to achieve it.  
  
And this is the understatement of the century, but Cara has no intention to delve into the matter further. Not with Kahlan - not with anyone.  
  
"I know that." Kahlan whispers and she lets go of Cara's arm with a reluctant sigh.  
  
"No." Cara says, trying to not sound as bitter as she feels. "You really don't."  
  
The comment is not meant to cause Kahlan harm just the honest truth, then Kahlan doesn't know everything of her past. Would probably be even more horrified if she learned about it in further detail, but still, Cara can't help but feel a little uneasy at the hurt she sees ghosting over Kahlan's fine features. But then the other woman catches herself quickly, her face slipping back into something determined which Cara instantly comes to dislike even more.  
  
"Let's go then." Kahlan prompts and takes a step towards their horses, but before Cara can tell her otherwise, Kahlan turns back to her once more. "And no, I don't care, I am coming with you. Unless you want to discuss this with Zedd and Richard once we found him as well?" Kahlan blinks at her with a display of innocence that would fool anyone but Cara and she releases a growl deep from the depths of her throat.

* * *

Getting away from the Wizard is surprisingly easy after Kahlan spins a tale of Cara needing some time to process and the dire need of only female companionship. And well, Kahlan isn't even lying about that. Cara makes a face at Zedd's raised eyebrow, but he knows better than to question them now, just admonishes them to be careful and do nothing reckless.

  
Cara ignores Kahlan's pointed stare at his unknowingly fitting advise. With her mind made up, it is already too late for that.

* * *

  
  
"Where is the body?" Kahlan asks in a hushed whisper and with the serenity of the untouched landscape around them it makes Cara shudder.  
  
"I really don't know..." She answers, letting her gaze roam slowly over the vast lake before them. Soft waves roll against the shore, almost reaching up to her leather boots, and Cara takes furtive step back. The sound of the waterfall from the cliff where her former sister once tumbled over, roars like a never ending warning in the distance.  
  
"Let's walk along the edge. It must have washed up around here somewhere." Cara says and starts walking and hopes that Kahlan doesn’t see the waver in her usually sure gait. The confessor follows gradually a few steps behind.  
  
The are walking almost for an hour, the wet sand and gravel crunches under their boots, the sun burns down on them from the zenith in the sky. At last Cara spots something that could be more or less a fresh trail, winding itself through the knee high grass away from the water and into the merciful shadows of some trees. "There." She points it out to Kahlan and the Confessor steps closer and kneels down, inspecting the bent over grass stalks. Somewhere further down, a smear of red catches Cara's eye and as she rubs the substance between her fingers, she instantly dreads they might even find Denna still alive.  
  
When they finally do, Kahlan lets out a quiet gasp beside her and stops dead in her tracks. Cara can't even fault her.  
  
Denna is on the ground, slumped against a large oak tree behind her. Cara's arrow broken in half next to her on the ground. She had even managed to get it out then. The light fabric of her dress is muddy and blood-soaked in the front, as are Denna's hands, making a stark contrast the paleness of her skin.  
  
Cara takes another steps, forward but soon feels Kahlan's warning hand on her forearm. "Maybe she is still alive. She whispers. "Be careful."  
  
Cara doesn't look back at Kahlan as she takes another step closer to her arch nemesis.  
  
Kahlan needn't have worried - Denna's chest is eerily still.

* * *

  
  
It is not long until they catch up with the Wizard but night has fallen around them and they are lured to him by the crackling and sizzling of his roaring campfire accompanied by the distinct smell of roasted meat.  
  
"Zedd!" Kahlan exclaims as she dismounts her horse rather swiftly and runs up to greet him.  
  
"Kahlan! Cara! What a fortunate time for you to return! Dinner is almost ready!"  
  
He hasn't seen their new travel companion yet, Cara realizes as Denna slides down from her position behind her off the horse. The former First Mistress doesn't make a sound as her feet touch to the ground and Cara can do nothing but silently admire her for her stealthiness.  
  
Denna had been on the top of the Sisterhood for a reason, but then Cara doesn't see any reason to amplify the other Mord'Sith' already too big ego any more than absolutely necessary.  
  
She slides down from her horse with all the grace she can muster then steps closer to the warmth of the fire, where Kahlan now sits on a fallen tree trunk next to Zedd.  
  
"You remember Denna?" She asks Zedd unceremoniously and waves a hand at a point behind her where she suspects the other Mord'Sith to hover close behind her. "She will be joining us in our quest."  
  
Denna steps up beside her and from the periphery of her vision, she can make out as Denna playfully winks at Zedd.  
  
"Hello, Wizard." She drawls, and the fine hairs on Cara's neck stand on end at her sinful, raspy tone.  
  
Zedd chokes on his drink and starts coughing violently.  
  
Kahlan looks miserable and looks like she would rather be anywhere else than here with them.  
  
Only Denna's lips curl into grin so wide that the firelight reflects in the row of her perfect white teeth.  
  
It will have to do for now, Cara thinks, and crouches down to sit close to the heat of the fire.


End file.
